Today the explosive population growth and the continued concentration of people, production and services in metropolitan areas are making the environmental health problems still more complex and difficult. Polluted water and air, open refuse dumps, substandard housing and overflowing septic tanks are now among the most urgent community problems. There are no standard answers to a community's problems. The solutions will vary depending on local conditions. This guide presents a systematic approach to a community's environmental health problems by describing the steps and procedures that have been found helpful in determining a community's needs. The guide emphasizes the evaluation of health-related utilities and services which readily lend themselves to long-range planning, and deals primarily with water, sewerage, refuse, air pollution and housing programs.